Many sports and recreational activities, such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing and the like, involve the performance of complex stunts and maneuvers. Poseable figures are often used as a visual aid in order to practice or demonstrate these stunts. The figure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,002 to Langton (1997) is an example of one such visual aid. Another example specifically directed towards snowboarding and skiing is the figure marketed by N.S.M. Resource Corp, Tahoe City Calif. under the name of HUCK DOLL™. (www.huckdoll.com). These and other known figures, while capable of mimicking body movement to a certain degree, have an internal skeleton designed to maintain the figure in a rigid, posed position. Accordingly, existing figures are not capable of accurately simulating the fluid, dynamic body movements associated with athletic maneuvers.
A need exists, therefore, for a flexible figure that can simulate the smooth, dynamic movements of an athlete or recreational sports enthusiast. A need also exists for a flexible figure that takes into account the effects of muscle tension and the flexibility parameters of the torso, limbs and joints in order to accurately demonstrate stunts or assess the feasibility of new maneuvers.